Masterclasses

Mittwoch, 12. März 2025 bis 
Donnerstag 13. März 2025

Das Programm der Masterclasses

Die Masterclasses bieten praxisorientierte Workshops, in denen Experten inspirierende Präsentationen und spannende Fallstudien präsentieren. Dabei gewähren sie tiefe Einblicke in innovative Lösungen und konkrete Anwendungen, die die Circular Economy voranbringen.
 

Mittwoch, der 12. März 2025

10:00 - 17:00 Uhr

Masterclasses & Netzwerktreffen

10:00 - 11:00 Uhr

Sustainability reports - unloved obligation or opportunity for transformation financing

 Format: Masterclass

 Sprache: English

Speaker

Bernd Meyer

Member of Management Board, Innovation and Sustainability Consultant
ZENIT GmbH

Vortragsinfos

Formal sustainability reporting is a game changer. More and more companies are required to publish such an official report. Even companies that are not actually required to report (SMEs) still have to prepare sustainability data, especially if they are suppliers to large companies or apply for a loan from their house bank. What do companies need to know? What is the current status?

11:00 - 12:00 Uhr

North Rhine-Westphalia: hotspot for circular economy and innovation

 Format: Masterclass

 Sprache: English

Speaker

Bety Chu

Head of Business Unit Sustainable Transformation
NRW.Global Business GmbH

Florian Schnitzler

Head of Startup unit
NRW.Global Business GmbH

Marcus Thiemann

Business Unit Director - Packaging Technology
inno-projekt GmbH

Christian Mertens

CFO
BHFM Technologies GmbH

Paolo Coda Rivera

Founder
Sacred Valley Fibers PCR

Henning Löbbert

Co-Founder
1to3 energy

Vortragsinfos

International companies always find the best opportunities where there is a great deal going on. NRW is a location that has proven one thing in particular: its ability to change. The heavy industry region has become a pioneer in innovation and sustainability. NRW is pursuing a major goal, which is to become the first climate-neutral industrial region in Europe.
In Germany's most important economic region, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the circular economy is one of the most powerful drivers of modernization and transformation. Where so much green transformation is driving an enormously diverse business location in the heart of Europe, NRW.Global Business the state-owned trade and investment agency shows the best way forward and helps international companies find their place among the many opportunities.
Major stakeholders in this transformation processeses are international startups with their new ideas and concepts. This is the reason why NRW.Global Business supports them and offers them a grant of 10k EUR – called the Startup Welcome Package - tailored-made for their needs when entering the German market.

12:00 - 13:00 Uhr

Companies at the edge of waste and product law: An R-Evolution for the waste hierarchy

 Format: Masterclass

 Sprache: English

Speaker

Dr. Claas Oehlmann

Managing Director
BDI-Initiative Circular Economy

Inken Sittler

Projektreferentin
BDI-Initiative Circular Economy

Vortragsinfos

Waste and Circular Economy legislation has been developed over decades at both German and European level. The five-stage waste hierarchy of the Waste Framework Directive in the order of prevention, preparation for re-use, recycling, other recovery and disposal is central to the handling of waste and establishes a regulatory area from the phases of beginning to the end of the waste. Speaking about so called R-strategies, the question is what's their potential to r:evolutionize companies business strategies.

13:00 - 14:00 Uhr

NRW Bank: Financing and funding programs for Start-ups and SMEs

 Format: Masterclass

 Sprache: English

Speaker

Janpeter Beckmann

Funding advisor
NRW.Bank

Lars Böttcher

Productmanager EU- and foreign trade promotion
NRW.Bank

Vortragsinfos

A variety of funding programs are available to support companies in the implementation of their circular projects. The offer ranges from free consulting services to attractive loans and investment grants. Moreover, several programs do support Start-ups to take up their circular businesses. In addition, as a member of the Enterprise Europe Network, known in NRW as NRW.Europa, NRW.BANK provides support in search for suitable EU funding and partners for the implementation of circular economy and sustainability projects, particularly in context of Internationalization. Janpeter Beckmann and Lars Böttcher will provide an overview on financing and funding programs for Start-ups and SMEs and important tips!

14:00 - 15:00 Uhr

What we can learn from ants - The Economy for the Common Good

 Format: Masterclass

 Sprache: English

Speaker

Dr. Hartmut Schaefer

Co-creator ECOnGOOD Business Canvas and Certified ECOnGOOD Consultant, LC Basel/Lörrach
ECOnGOOD | Economy for the Common Good

Beate Petersen

ECOnGOOD consultant and co-founder ECOnGOOD LC Ennepe, Ruhr & Wupper
ECOnGOOD | Economy for the Common Good

Vortragsinfos

Did you know that ants build the biggest cities of the world - and that these exist for more than 34000 years and hence three times longer than any human settlement?
Even better: Ever since, they operate in a completely circular, regenerative and common goods-oriented way. They have solutions for the obstacles we still face. Or in better words: They have established robust strategies for resilience.
So what can we learn from one of the smallest species in the world about the success factors for our economy and businesses?
Come to this interactive masterclass to find out how the principles of the Economy of the Common Good boost both impact and success of your business and make it part of the solutions our economy needs.

15:00 - 16:00 Uhr

Unlocking growth: From ESG Reporting to Beyond

 Format: Masterclass

 Sprache: English

Speaker

Christine Curtius


Digihub Düsseldorf/Rheinland

Jean Bauer


ESG X

Frank Völker


CES

Tim Eschert


Ferolabs

Johannes Kern


Recycoal

Talya Sheldrake

Managing Director
MotionLab.Ventures

Servet Karadeniz

CEO
CIYANO

Vortragsinfos

3 innovative startups, 2 customers, 1 sustainability& hardtech investor will discuss opportunities and challenges in green technologies.
The startups will present together with their customers solutions that drive sustainable business models and showcase how ESG reporting can be used as a value driver. Come and join as we discuss how investment hurdles can be tackled and what financial benefits lie in implementing clean technologies.

16:00 - 17:00 Uhr

Netzwerktreffen "Chemical Recycling"

 Format: Netzwerktreffen

 Sprache: English

Speaker

Prof. Dr. Thomas Müller-Kirschbaum

Chief Scientist
Circular Valley

Vortragsinfos

TBA

17:00 - 18:00 Uhr

Netzwerktreffen "Circular Valley: NRW-Flandern"

 Format: Netzwerktreffen

 Sprache: English

Speaker

Dr. Carsten Gerhardt

Chairman
Circular Valley Foundation

Vortragsinfos

TBA

18:00 - 23:00 Uhr

Abendveranstaltung "Circular Night" auf der Main Stage

Main Stage

Hier präsentieren Top-Speaker ihre Visionen und Projekte, die die Zukunft der Circular Economy prägen.

Innovation Stage

Innovative Start-ups und Unternehmen stellen ihre bahnbrechenden Ideen und Technologien vor, die zur Transformation hin zu einer Kreislaufwirtschaft beitragen.